A couple of weeks ago my 3-year-old daughter and I were playing restaurant. I sat at her Little Tikes table and asked my little “waitress” what the daily special was. Her reply: “Mommy… you want some pineapple?” I let out a sigh and told her that I was allergic to pineapple but would love a banana instead. A few minutes later she brought over her sushi set. When she asked me if I wanted a shrimp roll I replied, “Oh no, I’m allergic to shrimp too.” (I really am.) “But,” I added, “I sure would love a spicy tuna roll.” (By the way, this is not the first time I have discussed allergies with my daughter.)
Fast forward to Saturday. We were having lunch at a friend’s house when I overheard our hostess ask my daughter if she wanted some broccoli (her least favorite vegetable) to go along with her meal. “OH NO,” I heard my daughter exclaim, “I’m allergic to broccoli… but you can give me a cookie instead.” I have to hand it to the kid; she gave it her best shot. (For the record my daughter has not been diagnosed with any food allergies.)
She is one of the lucky ones. Millions of Americans (many of them children) suffer from food allergies, which can make meal time a challenge. And for parents of children with food allergies, it’s a daily stress worrying about what their kids are eating when they aren’t being supervised.
My cousin is allergic to eggs and nuts, which means her parents are on guard 24-7. If my cousin is exposed to even the smallest amount of nuts or eggs it could cause an anaphylactic reaction, which would cause her throat to potentially close. As a result, my aunt is constantly scrutinizing food items to make sure they are allergen-free. Recently she has gotten help from companies that specialize in making allergen-free snacks. The food items are made in special kitchens and bakeries that don’t use “high risk foods” such as tree nuts, milk, and eggs. Some are even gluten-free, which means there’s no chance of cross-contamination. According to these allergen-free companies (click here for one that my aunt patronizes), all of their ingredients are certified allergen-free by their suppliers, and routinely lab-tested for further assurance.
My aunt swears by the snacks… and my cousin is just happy that she can eat tasty treats without having to worry about ending up in the hospital. Some of the snacks are available in grocery stores, but many need to be ordered online. They do cost a bit more, but if you are a parent of a child suffering with allergies a few extra dollars is worth the peace of mind.
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